Tribeca praises editing on Ne me quitte pas

Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Koevorden’s documentary film Ne me quitte pas has been awarded the Prize for Best Editing in a Documentary Film at the Tribeca Film Festival. The prestigious film festival in New York celebrated its 13th edition this year and screened some 90 features and 60 shorts from 16 till 27 April.

Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Koevorden not only scripted and directed Ne me quitte pas but also took care of the edit. The Tribeca jury awarded the ‘bittersweet portrait of two Belgian boozers’ with the prize for Best Editing in a Documentary Feature in so celebrating ‘a pair of filmmakers’ ability to give shape, rhythm, and even mythic beauty to a story that might have been, frankly, a sodden mess.’ They also complimented the way the duo finds ‘luster in the most unlikely places’.

Ne me quitte pas received its North-American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, where the film was presented in the World Documentary Competition. Co-founded by actor Robert De Niro, the Tribeca Film Festival was created in response to the September 11 attacks and aims at restoring the cohesion and vitality of the Tribeca neighbourhood. In the past couple of years, the event has grown into one of the most prominent film festivals around the world. This year, the documentary jury was formed by film critic David Edelstein, producer and journo Nick Fraser (Man on Wire), producer Andrea Meditch (Encounters at the End of the World), Jenni Wolfson and director-producer Marina Zenovich. The best editing award comes with a cash prize of $5,000.

Ne me quitte pas is a tragicomic ode to failure. Set in a small Belgian village, Bob and Marcel share their solitude, sense of humor and craving for alcohol. They have agreed that suicide is the best way out if worse comes to worst. Together, they stand strong, until one day Marcel decides to stop drinking and Bob refuses to join him in rehab. Ne me quitte pas is a drama about life on the brink of society.

Following its passage at the Tribeca Film Festival, to film is also set to screen at the prestigious Visions du Réel in Switzerland end of the month, as well as Toronto’s Hot Docs. Having started its festival career at Amsterdam’s IDFA, Ne me quitte pas already won the jury prize at Oslo’s Eurodok, was named best documentary at the Luxembourg City Film Festival and received a special mention at ZagrebDox in Croatia.

Ne me quitte pas is a production of Dutch prodco Pieter van Huystee Film and was co-produced by Studio Godot and Maarten Schmidt’s Flemish production banner Storyhouse. The film could count on the support of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund/Film Fund of Flemish Cultural Affairs Minister Joke Schauvliege.